Papaver somniferum (Papaveraceae)

OPIUM POPPY, WHITE POPPY, MAWSEED

Concern about opium as a narcotic should not destroy appreciation of its medicinal value. Latex fluid from unripe seed capsules still provides two important painkillers, morphine and codeine. Homeopathic doses of opium are given for strokes, alcohol withdrawl, and sneezing.

Despite all the contemporary publicity about the abuse of the narcotic drug, opium, its first recorded use was in medicine. Arabian physicians introduced opium to Europe and India and it was also used by the ancient Greeks and Romans as long ago as the 4th century BC. Two important pharmaceutical drugs, morphine and codeine, are still derived from opium, which is tapped from unripe seed capsules by scratching their surface and harvesting the exuding latex before it has dried. Native to the Middle East and western Asia, the opium poppy is an annual with silvery grey-green leaves and white to lilac flowers in midsummer, followed by globular flat-topped capsules that contain the poppy seeds. Every part of the plant exudes white latex when scratched, although only that from the capsules is used.

PARTS USED

Latex, leaves.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

Alkaloids, especially morphine, codeine, papaverine, and narcotine.

ACTIONS

Narcotic; promotes sleep; relieves pain; reduces muscle tension and spasm; antidiarrhoeal; inhibits coughing.

MEDICINAL USE

Herbally, it used to be given for diarrhoea, to prevent coughs and to relieve pain, but it is now used as a pre-operative relaxant. The extracted morphine is used to relieve severe pain and diarrhoea in orthodox medicine, and as the starting material for diamorphine (heroin). Extracted codeine is included in many proprietary cough mixtures and painkillers. The homeopathic remedy (Opium) can be given for strokes, alcohol withdrawal symptoms (delirium tremens), irregular breathing, and sneezing.

PREPARATIONS

Tincture, opium extract, pharmaceutical preparations, homeopathic remedies.

CAUTION

Use only under the guidance of a qualified practitioner.